1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for moving bulk materials. More specifically, this invention relates to reclaiming devices having scrapers which turn in a circular direction about an upstanding column in order to direct bulk material such as grain toward a central location.
2. Present State of the Art
There are a variety of different storage facilities for housing bulk materials such as grains. A typical storage facility includes a substantially enclosed housing, often referred to as a silo, having a floor. Centrally extending through the floor of the housing is an outlet. A conveyor belt is disposed below the floor in alignment with the outlet. During use, the outlet is initially closed and grains or other bulk materials are feed into the housing through an opening in the roof.
When it is desired to move the bulk material, the outlet is opened and the bulk material flows under gravity through the outlet and onto the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt then moves the material to a remote location, such as a loading dock, for shipment to a point of sale.
As a result of the floor of the storage facility being substantially larger than the outlet extending therethrough, a large portion of the bulk material remains standing on the floor surrounding the outlet. This remaining bulk material does not naturally flow into the outlet under the force of gravity. As a result, a variety of different reclaiming devices have been designed which function to move the remaining bulk material from the surrounding floor into the outlet.
Reclaiming devices typically include a scraper having a conveyor belt configuration which rotates on the surface of the bulk material. The scraper draws the bulk material into the outlet. Although scrapers come in a variety of different configurations, each of the conventional designs have their shortcomings. For example, many conventional scrapers have an elongated fixed length extending from a proximal end to a distal end. In one design, the distal end of the scraper is secured to the floor by a track that encircles the outlet. In an alternative design, the proximal end of the track is fixed just above the outlet so as to rotate in a circular fashion.
In both of the above designs, the scraper is substantially covered by the bulk material when the storage facility is filled with bulk material. Filling the bulk material over the scraper can place load stresses on the scraper and can clog or damage moving parts thereof. Furthermore, as a result of the scraper being covered by bulk material, repair, service, and/or inspection of the scraper may not be possible without having to manually move the bulk material surrounding the scraper. In addition, as a result of at least one end of the scraper being fixed at or adjacent to the floor, selective movement of the scraper is limited. Finally, scrapers having a fixed length are also limiting in that they can typically only be used in storage facilities having a specific design or configuration.